The most EV-friendly states in 2026 range from Vermont at 450 residents per charger to Louisiana at 4,717, according to an iSeeCars analysis of federal charging data
October 22nd marks the National Day to Stop Police Brutality. Free DC and Pan-African Community Action (PACA) are two organizations in the nation’s capital engaged in building community and direct action against the various entities that form the policing apparatus in DC: police, FBI, HSI, National Guard, etc.
While Trump boosts their funding—much like giving a steroid to the carceral machine—Free DC and PACA are heightening the contradictions of the Trump administration’s fascist agenda by providing vulnerable communities with the resources that the government withholds and refuses to fund.
Trump’s deployment of the National Guard costs upwards of $3M daily and will total $2.9B by the end of his term. How would you spend $3M a day?
On this episode of Rattling the Bars, former political prisoner and Black Panther Mansa Musa speaks with organizers pushing back against the National Guard occupation of DC on the eve of the Black Panther Party’s 60th Anniversary.
Credits:
Production/Post-production: Cameron Granadino
Transcript
The following is a rushed transcript and may contain errors. It will be updated.
Mansa Musa:
Welcome to this edition of Rattling the Bars. I’m your host, Mansa Musa. The presence of the National Guard in the District of Columbia calls $3 million a day and an estimated $2.9 billion the next presidential election. Recently, I covered two organizations that are pushing back against their present. PACA, Pan-African, Community Action, who primarily organize in the Southeast section or the District of Columbia, Anacostia area, and Free DC. Take a look. We’re at the Black Workers Wellness Center. I’m talking to Alex from the Pan-African Community Action, PACA. And today they’re having political education form because of the anniversary, the 60th year anniversary of the Black Panther Party. And we’re doing political education in its roles form. So Alex, tell our audience a little bit about PACA.
Alex:
We’re a group of African and black people organizing in Southeast DC for power. We’re trying to build up institutions that are made up of just ordinary working class people, working class black people. We’re trying to build up alternative institutions that are able to challenge the preexisting institutions that are currently failing us. We see failing healthcare. We see funding going towards police and national guard. At the same time, we’re seeing cutting off from SNAP benefits, disinvesting from education affecting black children. And so we believe in a power shift and the only way to achieve that power shift is through building up a mass movement. And we’ve been organizing down here for 10 years.
Oliver:
When we look in our communities, we see occupying police forces. We see education we don’t control. History we don’t define. We see institutions we don’t have, whether it’s healthcare, whether it’s housing, whether it’s transportation. So the colonization we’re experiencing domestically, the Panthers saw that as linked to the anti-colonial struggles taking place around the world.
Huey P. Newton:
In America, black people are treated very much as the Vietnamese people or any other colonized people because we’re used, we’re brutalized. The police and our community occupy our area, our community as a foreign troop occupies territory.
Mansa Musa:
Earlier today, we was in free DC downtown where they was protesting the occupation by the National Guard.
Keya Chatterjee:
We want to be really clear that it is time for these armed soldiers to leave DC and leave our community. We’re in the middle of an election right now. We’ve seen them standing in front of polling locations, standing in front of ballot boxes. We’ve seen them at our schools. We’ve seen them all over our transportation system for all over a year. It is time for the guard to leave. I mean, from August 11th to January of 2029, can you imagine? It’s billions of dollars. It is a clear effort to violate our rights and to suppress dissent and we’re not going to stand for it.
Mansa Musa:
They’re blocking both sides of the street. They’re at the top on third street, third DC, and at the bottom of third and constitution. They’re definitely representing the right to civil disobedience.
DC resident 1:
Nobody in DC wants them. They’re a hassle to us and they don’t do anything good and they’re taking a lot of our money and they make the city feel unsafe because of their presence. So I’m not interested in having them here any longer.
DC resident 2:
And I think the National Guard are making our streets less safe. They’re scaring people away from U Street Corridor, which is such a vibrant place where young people like to come and gather and they are chasing everybody out of our city and our businesses and it’s not good for us.
Keya Chatterjee:
We’re going to be in all the places. We also will be over at Bard Early College at 3:00 PM today because the soldiers have been walking around with HSI and FBI in front of that school for weeks. Nobody asked you to be there. Nobody wants you there. Our DC council who we elect have been clear unanimously sending letters to every single governor saying, “Remove your troops. You are not wanted here.” At the end of the day, they say the soldiers are going to be here until January of 2029. We know why they say January of 2029, right? We’re standing here in front of the Capitol. We know what happened in January of 2021. And so what we say is that we will not tolerate that. They can’t do this without our consent. If we start collectively refusing to go to work, refusing to go to school, refusing to shop in the face of their blatant attempts to consolidate power, then they can’t get away with it.
And it’s already working. We’re already winning. What we know is that when we act collectively, it works. Even multi-billion dollar corporations have to give in to us and even this corrupt regime cannot stand if we act collectively and refuse to consent. So that’s what we’re building our way towards, neighborhood by neighborhood, person by person, training by training. We are building towards having enough collective power that they cannot get away with it.
Mansa Musa:
And in terms of y’all’s strategy about occupation, National Guard and Ward seven and eight, how do y’all see y’all being effective in terms of y’all organizing?
Alex:
Yeah, absolutely. I mean, historically Ward seven is eight has been redlined, experiences the most disinvestment from healthcare, from education, always over policing. And now we’re seeing over policing on a broad level across the entire DC, but it always starts with Ward seven and eight. It always starts with these metro stations, Anacostia, Congress Heights, Southern Avenue. We see the FBI, the DHS, the National Guard here first. And so we understand that it does affect all of DC, but it hits Ward seven and eight the hardest. This is where people experience the most oppressed conditions. There’s the most poverty down here. There’s already a heightened police presence even before the National Guard here. And so everything with the safe and beautiful task force and National Guard is just making it more violent. It’s bringing out more tension in these areas and it’s heightened the need for us to organize for ourselves too.
Mansa Musa:
What else do you want to PACA primary objectives in terms of organizing? We talking about the Black Panther Party and we know that they evolved and got to a place where they had survival programs and here we call them survival pending revolution. The ultimate goal was the programs was to turn them over to the community so they become a part of the infrastructure for revolutionary activities. So what are some of the programs y’all got?
Alex:
Absolutely. So our objectives are similar to the Panthers in the sense that we also have survival programs. We have our People’s Pan-African Wellness Front, which is a health clinic which we operate every four Sunday where we try to bring people in to volunteer and work together. We provide free blood pressure testing, glucose testing. We have activities like yoga. We have free grocery distribution, which includes locally grown vegetables and fruits. Oftentimes we have speakers come in and give lectures. So that’s just one example of a space where the community can come together and provide for ourselves, training people to become organizers for our mass movement. Another one of our programs, the Transit Solidarity Program, that’s a program we have going on this weekend where we take community donated smart trip cards, we put money on them and we distribute them at Anacostia Station. And we do this to basically heighten the contradiction between ourselves, the people coming together to provide for working class people just trying to access Metro versus the state, which is dumping upwards of $3 million a day into FBI, DHS, National Guard, MPD to occupy and patrol these stations, ticket people, $50, $100 just for trying to access the bus.
It’s ridiculous.
Mansa Musa:
As you can see, people are standing up against the military industrial complex, policing and the National Guard in the nation capital and around the country. October the 15th marked the 60th anniversary of the Black Panther Party. And one of the things the Black Panther Party stood for among many was community control over the police. As you can see, it’s the community that’s opposed to the presence of the National Guard and heavy-handed policing in the District of Columbia. We ask that you continue to look at the real news and rattling the bar and weigh in on these issues, all power to the people.
"We want to be really clear that it is time for these armed soldiers to leave DC… We've seen them standing in front of polling locations… at our schools… all over our transportation system… It's billions of dollars. It is a clear effort to violate our rights… and we're not going to stand for it."
"Volodymyr Ananiev is the oldest Crimean political prisoner. He suffers from vision problems and issues with his spine, muscles, kidneys, and legs, and walks with a cane," the Crimean Tatar Resource Center said.
For the first time in the history of the Russian tire market, the volume of passenger car tires imported from China has surpassed the total output of domestic manufacturers. This structural shift, observed in the first half of 2026, marks a definitive transition from a market defined by the absence of Western brands to one dominated by Asian supply chains, even as local production capacity sits largely underutilized.
According to data from the Association of Rubber Producers of Russia (RASPP), 7.1 million Chinese passenger car tires were imported into Russia during the first half of 2026. In contrast, domestic factories produced only 6.7 million units over the same period. Consequently, the import share of the market rose to between 55% and 57%, a significant jump from 48.5% a year earlier. With 80% of all imported tires originating from China, the balance of power in the sector has irrevocably tilted toward foreign suppliers.
Production Collapse Amidst Sufficient Technical Capability
The influx of inexpensive Chinese goods has coincided with a sharp contraction in local industrial activity. Official statistics indicate that the production of tires and inner tubes fell by 9.3% in the first seven months of 2026, totaling 22.5 million units. In the specific segment of passenger car tires, the decline was even steeper, dropping by 18% in the first half of the year. Operational efficiency at some domestic plants has deteriorated to the point where utilization rates are estimated at just 50%, leaving half of available capacity idle.
The onset of winter often prompts vehicle owners to check their coolant, yet the fluid's primary function extends far beyond preventing freezing. Modern engine coolants are engineered chemical cocktails designed to inhibit corrosion, suppress foam formation, and prevent the accumulation of deposits within the cooling circuit. When the additive package degrades over time, the engine is exposed to risks that a simple visual check cannot detect.
The Mechanism of Wear: From Fluid to Pump
A critical vulnerability lies in the water pump, specifically its mechanical seal. This component relies on the lubricating properties of the coolant to operate without excessive friction. When the chemical integrity of the fluid fails-either through age-related degradation or incorrect specification-the seal loses its lubrication. This transforms a routine maintenance item into a potential catalyst for expensive engine repairs.
The risk is compounded by the variety of specifications, such as G11, G12, G12+, G12++, and G13. These are not merely labels but indications of the chemical base. Coolants are broadly divided into silicate (inorganic) and non-silicate (organic carboxylate) types, both typically utilizing monoethylene glycol. While the base is similar, the additive packages are fundamentally different.
Intesa Sanpaolo, con Up2Stars e In Action Esg CLIMATE 40 startup accelerate e tre progetti green premiati con 100mila euro ciascuno
Intesa Sanpaolo consolida il proprio impegno a favore dell’innovazione, delle startup e della transizione sostenibile con l’evento conclusivo di Up2Stars e In Action Esg CLIMATE, due programmi complementari sviluppati insieme a Intesa Sanpaolo Innovation Center. Le iniziative puntano a sostenere la crescita delle giovani imprese innovative e a valorizzare progetti capaci di generare un impatto concreto sul piano ambientale.
Il Gruppo ha sostenuto negli ultimi dieci anni la crescita dell’ecosistema dell’innovazione attraverso circa 1 miliardo di euro di finanziamenti destinati a oltre 4.200 startup e imprese innovative. Nell’ambito dell’evento sono state inoltre premiate tre realtà con un contributo di 100mila euro ciascuna, per un totale di 300mila euro, attraverso il programma In Action Esg CLIMATE.
Up2Stars, promosso dalla Divisione Banca dei Territori guidata da Stefano Barrese, sostiene la crescita delle startup ad alto contenuto tecnologico, favorendone il dialogo con imprese, investitori e operatori specializzati. In Action Esg CLIMATE, promosso da Intesa Sanpaolo Assicurazioni guidata da Virginia Borla, è invece dedicato ai progetti capaci di produrre un impatto ambientale concreto e misurabile. Il Grattacielo Intesa Sanpaolo di Torino ha ospitato le 40 startup protagoniste del percorso di accelerazione di Up2Stars, sviluppato attraverso un network di partner che comprende ELITE, Digit’Ed, Microsoft, Innovit e Factory Plus in qualità di acceleratore.
Nel corso dell’evento sono state premiate anche le tre startup vincitrici della quarta edizione di In Action Esg CLIMATE, selezionate tra 231 candidature. Tra i progetti premiati figura Rarearth, di Monte San Vito, in provincia di Ancona, che ha sviluppato un processo per il riciclo delle terre rare contenute nei magneti a fine vita, destinato alla produzione sostenibile di nuovi magneti ad alte prestazioni. Premiata anche Pipein, di Torino, con il progetto “Waterguard”, una soluzione pensata per ridurre le perdite nelle condotte idriche sommerse o pressurizzate attraverso sistemi robotici e tecnologie di intelligenza predittiva.
Il terzo riconoscimento è andato a Voidless, di Milano, che innova il settore della logistica producendo in tempo reale scatole su misura per ogni ordine, con l’obiettivo di ridurre costi, sprechi e impatto ambientale. La terza edizione di Up2Stars, lanciata a giugno 2025, ha raccolto 500 candidature e selezionato 40 startup ad alto potenziale, dieci per ciascuno dei quattro ambiti considerati prioritari per il sistema produttivo italiano: Nuovi materiali, Robotica, Aerospazio e Design Tech.
Le startup hanno seguito gratuitamente un percorso di accelerazione curato da Factory Plus, con attività di mentorship e approfondimenti specialistici. Nei quattro Demo Day conclusivi, realizzati con il sostegno di Visa, le realtà selezionate hanno presentato soluzioni in settori che spaziano dall’economia circolare all’intelligenza artificiale, dalla salute alla manifattura digitale, dall’automazione industriale alla space economy.
La distribuzione geografica delle 40 startup vede il Nord Italia ospitarne il 75%. La Lombardia è la regione più rappresentata, con 16 startup, di cui 13 a Milano, mentre la presenza di realtà innovative in Campania, Marche e Puglia testimonia la crescita di nuovi poli imprenditoriali anche al di fuori dei tradizionali hub del Nord. Dal 2022, In Action Esg CLIMATE ha raccolto complessivamente oltre 600 candidature, premiato 14 progetti e assegnato grant per più di 2 milioni di euro.
Con 1.500 candidature e 120 startup accelerate in tre edizioni, Up2Stars accompagna le imprese innovative dalla fase di accelerazione fino all’accesso al mercato dei capitali attraverso la Lounge ELITE Intesa Sanpaolo. Ad oggi sono 62 le startup entrate nella Lounge, di cui 12 provenienti dall’ultima edizione.
Negli ultimi dieci anni Intesa Sanpaolo ha inoltre erogato circa 1 miliardo di euro a oltre 4.200 startup e imprese innovative, raggiungendo una quota di mercato del 31% nel segmento startup e del 54% tra le PMI innovative. Nel 2024, inoltre, 12 startup selezionate tra le migliori partecipanti alle prime due edizioni di Up2Stars hanno preso parte a una missione negli Stati Uniti, organizzata dalla Banca dei Territori insieme a INNOVIT, l’Italian Innovation and Culture Hub nella Silicon Valley. L’evento conclusivo ha rappresentato anche un momento di confronto sui temi dell’innovazione e della crescita sostenibile, con gli interventi di Agostino Deiana, Anna Roscio e Serena Fumagalli, oltre alle testimonianze di alcune delle startup accelerate nel programma.
Al centro della giornata anche la tavola rotonda “L’innovazione a servizio della crescita e delle transizioni sostenibili”, con la partecipazione di Viviana Bacigalupo, Direttrice Generale di Intesa Sanpaolo Innovation Center, Matteo Bertocchi, CEO e Founder di Novac, Antonio Granito, Executive Director Area Finanza e Sostenibilità di Intesa Sanpaolo Assicurazioni, e Stefano Peroncini, Chief Executive Officer di Eureka! Venture SGR.
Nel corso della cerimonia Lauretta Filangieri, Responsabile Sostenibilità di Intesa Sanpaolo Assicurazioni, ha assegnato i tre contributi, mentre Virginia Borla, Amministratore Delegato e Direttore Generale di Intesa Sanpaolo Assicurazioni e Responsabile della Divisione Insurance di Intesa Sanpaolo, ha chiuso i lavori sottolineando il valore strategico dell’ecosistema dell’innovazione e il ruolo delle assicurazioni nel sostenere lo sviluppo sostenibile e la competitività del sistema economico.
The integration of artificial intelligence in automotive manufacturing has shifted from conceptual software updates to the deployment of physical systems that redistribute labor between human operators and machines. The primary objective is the elimination of variability in quality control and the reduction of physical strain during the handling of heavy components.
Automated Defect Detection and the Shift in Labor
At Audi's Neckarsulm plant, the Weld Splatter Detection (WSD) system replaces selective manual inspection with a continuous loop of machine vision and robotic intervention. Previously, quality assurance relied on technicians using ultrasonic equipment to sample a fraction of the weld points. The WSD mechanism now analyzes approximately 1.5 million weld points across 300 vehicles per shift, utilizing neural networks to locate splatter defects and a robotic arm to grind them down.
This transition alters the technician's role from detection to remediation. Where 80% of the work cycle was previously spent searching for defects, the automation of identification allows specialists to spend the majority of their time on the actual correction of the fault. A similar logic has been applied at Renault for body geometry and paint inspection. However, this efficiency creates a trade-off in skill development; at Skoda, the ability to generate exterior sketches in seconds via AI removes the routine drafting process that historically allowed young designers to refine their fundamental skills.
The restructuring of Russia's vehicle recycling tax, or utilizatsiya, at the end of 2025 has triggered a sharp increase in prices for popular foreign-made cars. Korean models, previously imported in large volumes, have seen their costs rise by hundreds of thousands of rubles. Against this backdrop, the second-generation Kia Niro emerges as a notable exception. This hybrid crossover has retained a relatively favorable cost structure, a direct consequence of the new regulatory formula that now prioritizes engine power over other metrics for private importers.
The decisive factor in this shift is the engine's output. Under the updated rules, individuals importing a vehicle for personal use pay a preferential rate if the total power of the powertrain does not exceed 160 horsepower (l.s.). For vehicles under three years old, this rate is set at 3,400 rubles; for older models, it is 5,200 rubles. The Kia Niro fits comfortably within this threshold. As a parallel hybrid, its total combined output from the petrol and electric motors is 141 horsepower. This technical specification allows it to avoid the commercial rates that now apply to more potent vehicles. In contrast, owners of larger Korean crossovers with approximately 200 horsepower face surcharges ranging from 800,000 to 900,000 rubles, a penalty that fundamentally alters the economics of ownership compared to the Niro.
Practical ownership and performance
The Niro's hybrid architecture pairs a 1.6-liter petrol engine with an electric motor, a combination that delivers tangible benefits in daily driving. In real-world Russian conditions, fuel consumption is reported to be between 5.0 and 5.2 liters per 100 kilometers. A full tank provides a range of 800 to 900 kilometers, reducing the frequency of fueling stops. The electric motor contributes significantly to urban driving dynamics, enabling quiet and responsive starts that make navigating traffic congestion more comfortable. The vehicle's electronic systems, specifically the Greenzone Drive Mode, utilize navigation data to automatically switch the crossover to electric-only mode in residential areas and courtyards, further enhancing its suitability for dense environments.
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